Song of Siwa

Book excerpt: Song of Siwa: Chapter Summaries Beginning (lines 1-65). Ethereal description of the hidden valley Siwa; Marzuk and his clan of Ice-Age hunters seek protection from environmental changes; Marzuk senses approaching ice will doom his people; Marzuk leads his clan to new caves near the Sea of Vanton; Pine-tree spirits speak to Marzuk that death awaits if his clan remains by the sea; Marzuk completes construction of pine-log rafts to cross the Sea of Vanton; Clan members debate whether or not to trust and follow Marzuk; Marzuk and followers depart while the others remain behind; Wind and waves batter the rafts as they cross the Sea of Vanton; Weakest clan members are swept overboard and disappear; Survivors reach the shore of what is now North Africa; Clan members who remained behind perish under layers of grinding glacial ice; The hidden valley Siwa awaits its first human occupants. Eastward (lines 66-149). The North African coastal lands breed illness and danger among Marzuk's clan; The clan splits: Marzuk leads his faction southward while others remain along the coast; The clan passes through high mountains into the vast Sahara region; Illness and danger continue to plague Marzuk's clan during their journey; Many clansmen lose hope and begin to murmur; God Zaghilie sends messenger bird and a life-saving spring is revealed; Gosla, Marzuk's mate, promises to erect a temple to god Zaghilie at journey's end; Feathers from the messenger bird float earth-ward as symbols of hope and safety; Renewed in spirit Marzuk's clan continue their eastward trek. Promise (lines 150-277). The long march continues as clan members fear god-sent promise was only a vision; Advance scouts cross the Great Sand Sea and view the Siwa for the first time; Scouts report that the Siwa is filled with wild game and springs of clear water; Marzuk's clan reaches the Siwa and establishes their settlement near Aghourmi hill; Clan members erect Zaghili's temple atop Aghourmi thus fulfilling Gosla's promise; Clan members offer sacred green stones as ritual offerings to god Zaghili; Zaghili descends and promises clan protection if his rules are followed; Rules for clan behavior, personal dress, and body ornamentation are identified; Mothers must display sunburst designs on their dress symbolic of Zaghili's feathers; Fathers must prepare silver disks for virgin daughters to wear; Daughters must wear their disks until marriage, then pass them to younger sisters; Sons must honor their fathers and mothers; Zaghili promises Gosla the line of Marzuk will flourish if his requirements are followed; Zaghili requires clan leaders to wear the horns of Gurzel [ram-god] as a symbol of power; Zaghili specifies rules for maintaining Aghourmi's temple flame; Zaghili promises that if rules are kept Marzuk's line will not experience strife; Zaghili blocks the sun's light; The clan agrees to honor Zaghili's requirements and sunlight returns to the Siwa; The grace of Zaghili now resides within the line of Marzuk. Manhood (lines 278-489). Relation on clan hunting and tracking skills; Relation on the valor and strength of Marzuk; Gosla becomes pregnant; Relation on clan birth practices; Gosla delivers twins as birth attendants watch in fear; Gosla rejects clan tradition that requires the death of one twin; Relation on the growth and maturation of the twins Zel and Zechen; Zel and Zechen mature and undergo initiation, scarification rituals, and fasting; Each twin required to prepare spear points, track, and kill a farna [leopard]; Zechen killed by a farna during his hunting initiation; Zel kills a farna, honors his father, and becomes a man. Death (lines 490-573). Marzuk anguishes over the death of his son Zechen; Glim's cautionary words uttered at the birthing time of the twins are recalled; Relation on the aging of Marzuk and Gosla; Relation on Gosla's illness and impending death; Death of Gosla; Rela